CHARLOTTE—Welcome to the bye week, Carolina Panthers! It's been a long road to this point, with 10 straight weeks of football that have the Panthers sitting at 3-7, riding a two-game win streak. Dave Canales and team will take a break this weekend, focusing on rest, relaxation and their own game tape with a bit more time to focus on the details.

It's not exactly a vacation but does provide an opportunity to catch their breath before the final stretch.

"In my mind it's only a two-month sprint to do whatever we can to win as many games as we can," tackle Taylor Moton said on Monday of the bye week's focus.

There are seven of those games left, against six opponents. So, in taking our directive from Moton, let's use this break to look ahead at the back half of the Panthers schedule.

After a schedule that sent Carolina on the road every other week in the first half of the season, as well as back-to-back road games and a trip to Germany, the final seven games feature four home games. The three road games are all on the East Coast and the farthest trip is to Tampa.

Kansas City Chiefs

Week 12 (Nov. 24) at home

The Chiefs are currently undefeated at 9-0, as they look to three-peat. In total, the Super Bowl champs have won 15 straight. They'll be coming off a game in Buffalo against the Bills, a matchup in recent years that has proven hard-fought and tiring for both teams. This isn't the same Chiefs team as the last two who listed the Lombardi Trophy. Through the first nine weeks, their score differential in games is 5.7 points, and the biggest win they've notched was by 10 points.

But one thing they are still doing the same is winning. Whether it means going to overtime against the Buccaneers or blocking a field goal for a walk-off win against the Broncos, they find a way. And with Patrick Mahomes leading the way (69.5 completion percentage, 2,208 yards and 12 touchdowns, nine interceptions) this team is never in a position to be doubted.

The Chiefs will likely get stronger ahead of the Week 12 matchup as well. Reports on Tuesday revealed Kansas City plans to designate running back Isiah Pacheco and defensive lineman Charles Omenihu to return from IR this week

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 13 (Dec. 1) at home

Week 17 (Dec. 29) at Tampa

The Dave Canales Bowl will get a part one and a part two within a month of each other. The Bucs will travel to New York (New Jersey) to face the Giants before flying to Charlotte for Week 13. They'll welcome Dallas in Week 16, ahead of the second Panthers matchup. The Bucs are currently 4-6 and on a four-game losing streak.

Tampa's offense is in a place of uncertainty right now, with Baker Mayfield leading all passers with 24 touchdowns, cracking the Top 5 with 2,505 yards and in the Top 3 in completion percentage (70.6). But he is without leading receiver Chris Godwin for the remainder of the year due to an ankle injury. And left tackle Tristan Wirfs left Sunday's game with a sprained MCL. He is expected to miss “a few weeks” according to reports but could return before the end of the season.

Receiver Mike Evans has missed three games in a row with a hamstring injury, but the Bucs have a bye this week as well and Evans told reporters recently that he hopes to return by Week 12.

The Bucs defense has given up 30 or more points in three of the last four games.

Philadelphia Eagles

Week 14 (Dec. 8) at Philly

The Panthers will head to the northeast for an early December meeting. After some early season swings, the Eagles have rolled off five straight on the backs of strong performances from quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley.

Barkley is currently second in the league in total rushing with 991 yards (Panthers standout Chuba Hubbard is third). But back to Barkley, who is popping off 5.8 yards per rush with six touchdowns and 18 explosive plays, in addition to awe inducing backwards hurdles.

The Eagles' strengths don't stop there. Philly's defense is second in the league, only giving up 274.1 yards per game and are tied for fifth in scoring defense, allowing a mere 17.9 points per game.

Dallas Cowboys

Week 15 (Dec. 15) at home

The Cowboys are an interesting opponent because the roster and the results (3-6) tell two different stories. The defense is allowing an average of 362.9 points per game and the offense is putting them in a deficit, picking up an average of 315 yards per game.

Quarterback Dak Prescott is currently sidelined with a partially torn hamstring and according to recent reports, he plans on undergoing season-ending surgery to repair the tear. That leaves Cooper Rush to take over the offense and lead the Cowboys the rest of the way.

Arizona Cardinals

Week 16 (Dec. 22) at home

The Cardinals currently have a four-game win streak going, putting them at 6-4 ahead of Week 11. Kyler Murray is playing some of his best ball in a while, averaging 205.8 yards per game with a 69.2 completion percentage. He even posted a perfect quarterback rating in Week 2 against the Rams. Murray has 12 passing touchdowns to only three interceptions and has added four touchdowns with his legs as well. Of note is Murray's scrambling ability, he has three games in which he rushed the ball for more than 10 percent of his plays, and reached a max speed on 21.3 miles per hour in Week 5 on one rush.

The defense has allowed less than 300 yards in their last four wins (287.7 yards) The defense has 11 takeaways, but their differential is wiped out thanks in large part to the offense fumbling the ball eight times.

Atlanta Falcons

Week 18 (TBD) at Atlanta

When the schedule was released this summer, Dave Canales said he'd love to earn a primetime game by the schedule's end. Week 18 games aren't decided until later in the year, to push divisional matchups with playoff implications into better windows. The Panthers might still have some work to do on their part (although the win streak is helping), but the Falcons are in firm position to fight for a playoff run, sitting at 6-4 and first in the NFC South.

Kirk Cousins has only one game—the first—with fewer than 200 passing yards. Versus the Bucs, he surpassed 500 yards through the air. He has 17 touchdowns to eight interceptions and taken 20 sacks. Cousins gets a lot of help on the ground from Bijan Robinson (748 yards, six touchdowns) and Tyler Allgeier (429 yards, two touchdowns).

The defense has registered a league low nine sacks.